Package-wrapping apparatus



April 30, 1929. .w, MABE'E 1,710,779

Mensa WRAPPING APARATUs Filed Nov. 30, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet l April 1929- I .w. R. MAB'EE 1,710,779

PACKAGE WRAPPING APPARATUS .Filed o 30, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Apr. 30, 1929.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM R. MABEE, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO HAHNE & COMPANY, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

PACKAGE-WRAPPING APPARATUS Application filed November 30, 1925. Serial No. 72,135.

My invention relates to improvements in apparatus for wrapping packages, and particularly to apparatus which can be used to advantage in stores, for example department stores, where a great many packages are wrapped and sent out, and where the packages are of various sizes and shapes. The object of the invention is to produce a comparatively simple apparatus which can be installed in a central location, and which has facilities for discharging packages from the various floors and delivering them to a wrap ping station where they are wrapped, addressed, and placed in a delivery chute preparatory to delivery. The invention is intended to eliminate much of the labor involved in the present packing processes, to concentrate the wrapping and addressing in a definite point, and to arrange the apparatus so that the packages are delivered to the wrappers in convenient form for wrapping, and that the wrappers can as conveniently put the packages in condition for final addressing and delivery.

In carrying out the idea achute is arranged to deliver from various floors to the wrapping apparatus, and the packages are first put in bags tohold them together yet separate while they are discharged through the chute, and from the bags the packages are taken, wrapped if desired, and discharged. It will be understood that the work can be facilitated by using different colored bags, preferably cloth bags, for different purposes, for example, khaki color can be used for regular merchandise, green for parcels post and express packages, maroon for specials, and black for mail and telephone orders. Obviously this arrangement is arbitrary, and other and more or less colors can be used to facilitate operations. To further facilitate the work, larger bags can be used into which a great number of the smaller bags can be placed before chuting them to the packing stand. This will be better understood from the description which follows.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, in which similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a sectional plan of the apparatus embodying my invention.

Figure 2 is a diagrammatic cross section.

and Figure 3 is a detail of the means for passlng under a removable platform.

In carrying out the invention it is generally applied to stores wherethere are several floors, and I have shown an enclosed chute vertically arranged and extending through the floors, comprising a casing 10 which passes through the floors 11, and which at different floors is provided with doors, as for example a door frame 12 and a sliding door 13 through which merchandise may be placed in the casing. Extending downward through the casing is a spiral chute 14 which ermits the packages to slide down by gravity and prevents them from moving too fast, so as to injure them, and this may be given the desired pitch. Obviously other forms of chute might be used without affecting the invention. From the lower end of the casing 10 extends an extension chute 14', and the packages issuing from the casing 10 are delivered throu h the extension chute to a movable platform 15 which for convenience is preferably of generally circular shape, and can be moved by revolving it. This platform is arranged at a convenient height for the wrappers to remove the packages from it, and it can be supported and moved in any convenient way. As illustrated it has hanger arms 16 connecting it with a vertical rotatable shaft 17 mounted in bear ings 18 and 19 at top and bottom, and rotated by means of gearing 20 connecting with an electric motor, 21, this being supported on a platform 22. Obviously the means of turn ingthe shaft may be varied indefinitely without affecting the invention.

A little above the platform 15 and preferably in a slightly different vertical plane, is a second movable platform 23 which is of slightly larger diameter than the platform 15, and this connects by arms 24 with the shaft 17 above referredto. The object of this arrangement is to enable the wrappers to readily remove the packages from the platform 15, wrap them, and place them upon the platform 23.

To steady the platform 23, it preferably runs between rollers 25 engaging the upper and lower sides thereof as shown in Figure fit 2-, and these can be supported in any convcnicnt way, as for example, on a bracket 26 secured to a vertical hanger 27 extending from an overlmad support, as for example the floor 11.

To enable the packages to be automatically discharged from the platform 23, a deflecting plate 28 extends diagonally across the upper surface of the platform at one side of the apparatus, and this can be supported in any convenient way, as for instance between the hanger 27 and a bracket 29, the latter being simported from a part of the platform hanger 22. The deflecting plate 28 causes the packages to be moved laterally into a chute 30 which discharges them upon a pasting table 31, and from here the complete packages are placed upon a conveyor 32 which delivers them to any point desired.

I find the generally circular arrangement of the packing apparatus works out to the best advantage, and extending substantially around the apparatus above described, and at a lower level, is a wrapping table 33 which is separated. by an aisle 34 from an innor circular counter 35, which is also used as a wrapping table, and this has auxiliary shelves 36 which slide horizontally in the spaces 37 of the table so that they may be pulled inward to give still greater packing space and enable the wrapper to operate from the tables 33, 35, an d. shelves 36. To facilitate in and egrees to and from the inner part ofthe apparatus, I have shown a depressed stairway 38 leading beneath the platform 15, and the table is cut away at this point to permit the arrangement referred to.

In practice the packages from the various floors are placed in appropriate ba gs together with the address and identification tags, and these bags either separately or in larger bags, are dropped on the chute 14 and delivered to the platform 15 as described. From this platform the wrappers take the bags and place them on the table 33 or or shelves 36,

wrap them, and the address is placed underneath the string on the package. Each pack age is then placed on the platform 23 and automatically deflected to the table 31, at which point the pastors are located, and these operators by simply lifting the ends of the labels, can .flSlly apply paste to the under sides thereof and attach the labels firmly to the package. The packages are then deposited in the conveyor 32.

It will be noticed that the arrangement described greatly facilitates wrapping and addr string where there are a great many packag to take care of, and that it lends itself to the exigencies of the business, that is to say if there is comparatively little business at any time, a set of wrappers can operate from the table 35 and-take care of all the packages. If there is more business being done another set of Wrappers can operate from the table 33, and if still others are rcquiredthey can operate from the extension shelves Elli.

1. In an apparatus of the kind described, the combination of continuous substantially circular platforms, concentric spared wrapping counters forming a continuous aisle tlurcbcln'ccn tlift'fihrllllt to the platforms and ctnrnlrrs. respectively, and means centrally located re ive to the innermost counter and rolatahly support the platforms elevated from the counters in reaching distance of an opcraton 2. In an apparatus of the kind described, the combination of continuous substantially circular platforms, concentric spaced wrapping counters forming a continuous aisle thercbetween accessible to the platforms and counters, respectively, means centrally located relative to the innermost counter and rotatably supporting the platforms elevated from the counters in reaching distance of an operator, and a gravity conveyor having a discharge chute communicating with one of the platforms.

3. In an apparatus of the kind described, the combination of continuous substantially circular platforms, concentric spaced wrapping counters forming a continuous aisle therebetween accessible to the platforms and counters, respectively, means centrally located relative to the innermost counter and rotatably supporting the platforms elevated from the counters in reaching distance of an operator, a gravity conveyor having a discharge chute communicating with one of the platforms, a receiving table contiguous to one counter and a chute forming communication between the other platform and said table.

4-. In an apparatus of the kind described, the combination of continuous substantially circular platforms, concentric spaced wrapping counters forming a continuous aisle therebetween accessible to the platforms and counters, respectively, means centrally located relative to the innermost counter and rotatably supporting the platforms elevated from the counters in reaching distance of an operator, a gravity conveyor having a discharge chute communicating with one of the platforms, a receiving table contiguous to one counter, a chute forming communion, tion between the other platform and said table, and means for deflecting packages from said other platform to the last named chute.

5. In an apparatus of the kind described, the combination of continuous substantially circular platforms, concentric spaced wrapping counters forming a continuous aisle therebetwcen accessible to the platforms and counters, respectively, and means centrally located relative to the innermost counter and rotatably supporting the platforms elevated from the counters in reaching distance of an operator, said platforms having open centers for access thereto from the innermost.

counter.

6. An apparatus of the class described comprising a pair of movable annular plat- .torins arranged. one above the other a wrapping table below the platforms, an auxiliary table adjacent the outer peripheries of said platforms, means for conveying articles to one of said platforms, and means for discharging articles from the other of said.

platforms directly to said auxiliary table.

7. An apparatus of the class described comprising a movable annular platform, and a stationary wrapping table disposed underneath said platform and concentric therewith in a position such that an operator has access to both platform and table without turning,

8. An apparatus of the class described comprising a pair of movable concentric annular platforms arranged one above the other, a stationary \v 'a-pping table disposed below and underneath said platforms and concentric therewith in a position such that an operator has access to both platforms and table Without turning, means for conveying articles to one of said platforms, and means for discharging articles from the other of said platforms.

1n testimony whereof. I have signed my name to this specification this 24th day of November, 1925.

\VILLIAM R. MABEE. 

